In the 12 months to July 2000, there were 2,552,500 jobseekers, a 3.5% decrease since the 12 months to July 1998. Of all these jobseekers, 1,939,200 persons (or 76%) successfully obtained a job for wages or salary. This was an increase of 14% over the number of successful jobseekers for the 12 months to July 1998.

Of these successful jobseekers, 58% were out of work prior to starting their job and the remaining 42% changed employers to start their job. The number of persons starting the first job they had ever held was 232,500 (or 12% of successful jobseekers). This was similar to the level recorded for the 12 months to July 1998 (11%).

Another 613,300 persons unsuccessfully looked for work over the 12 months to July 2000, representing a decrease of 20% from the level recorded in the 12 months to July 1998. About one-third (34%) of unsuccessful jobseekers spent the entire year looking for work.

SUCCESSFUL JOBSEEKERS

Methods of job attainment

The majority (77%) of successful jobseekers approached their employer. Most of this group (60%) had prior knowledge that the job was available. The main sources of this knowledge were friends, relatives or company contacts (42% of those with prior knowledge) and newspaper advertisements (35%).

Some 40% of successful jobseekers who approached their employer had no prior knowledge that the job was available. The first step taken by half (50%) of these jobseekers was to contact employers they thought likely to have available jobs.

Of the 817,400 jobseekers who changed employer to start their job, most (71%) had approached their employer in search of a job. Of this group, 64% had prior knowledge that a job or work was available with the employer. For most, this information was obtained from friends, relatives or company contacts and from newspaper advertisements (40% each). Some 29% of jobseekers who changed employers to start their job were approached by the employer.

Of the 530,700successful jobseekers who were out of work prior to starting their job and had prior knowledge that a job or work was available with their employer, 43% obtained that knowledge from friends, relatives and company contacts. Some 18% of jobseekers out of work prior to starting their job were approached by the employer.

SOURCE OF PRIOR KNOWLEDGE THAT JOB WAS AVAILABLE

Duration of looking for work

One in five (21%) of successful jobseekers spent between one and under four weeks looking for work before being offered a job. Some 6% had looked for one year or more, while 16% had not looked for work at all.

More than one-third (39%) of all successful jobseekers were young jobseekers (those aged 15-24 years) compared to 4% for those aged 55 and over. These older jobseekers were more likely to have spent a longer time looking for work than their younger counterparts. Some 15% of older jobseekers had spent one or more years looking for work before finding a job compared to just 4% of young jobseekers.

Those who changed employer were less likely to have spent long periods of time looking for work. Some 3% of those who changed employer had been looking for work for one year or more compared to 8% of those who were out of work prior to starting a job.

Educational attainment

Some 45% of successful jobseekers had a post-school qualification while 48% did not have a post-school qualification. The remaining 7% of successful jobseekers were still at school.

Of all jobseekers, those with post-school qualifications were more likely to obtain work than those without a post-school qualification. Four out of five (82%) of those with post-school qualifications were successful in obtaining a job compared to 72% of those without post-school qualifications.

Persons starting their first job

There were 232,500 first job starters in the 12 months to July 2000, a 22% increase from the estimate for the 12 months to July 1998. Persons starting their first job made up 12% of all successful jobseekers.

The majority (69%) of first jobs were part-time and males accounted for just over half (52%) of all persons starting their first job.

More than one-third (36%) of successful jobseekers starting their first job had found employment as Elementary clerical, sales and service workers. A further 22% found work as Labourers and related workers and 18% as Intermediate clerical, sales and service workers.

One in five (20%) of successful jobseekers who started their first job spent between one and four weeks looking for work. A further 13% spent between four and under eight weeks looking for work. Most (58%) had obtained a job in their preferred occupation.

UNSUCCESSFUL JOBSEEKERS

In July 2000, one in four (24%) of all jobseekers had looked unsuccessfully for work in the previous 12 months. Most unsuccessful jobseekers were males (53%) and one-third (33%) were aged 15-24 years. Some 60% of unsuccessful jobseekers did not have a post-school qualification.

More than half (56%) of the unsuccessful jobseekers had a preferred occupation in which they were seeking a job. Of those with a preferred occupation, 19% were looking for work as Intermediate clerical, sales and service workers and a further 14% were looking for work as Elementary clerical, sales and service workers. Of this group who had a preferred occupation, 71% contacted prospective employers in their job search and 46% were registered with Centrelink.

Jobseekers in older age groups were more likely to be unsuccessful. Some 40% of all jobseekers aged 55 and over were unsuccessful, as were 31% of those aged 45-54 years and 28% of those aged 35-44 years. The lowest proportion of unsuccessful jobseekers was in the 25-34 years age group(19%).

The majority (43%) of unsuccessful jobseekers had looked for both full-time or part-time work or had no preference, and a further one-third (34%) had looked only for part-time work.

Approximately one-third (34%) of unsuccessful jobseekers had spent the entire twelve months to July 2000 looking for work.

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